Hiking up Mt. Etna and Visiting Site of 1928 Eruption

June 7, 2012

Hiking with the group Etna ‘Ngeniousa is always an enjoyable experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A few days ago, I joined the group as we hiked up Mt. Etna to visit the lava trails left by the 1928 eruption that destroyed the town of Mascali. Mascali was later rebuilt in a different location of the mountain. The breathtaking views one enjoys while hiking Mt. Etna are priceless. Add to that a group of hikers that keep an upbeat mood and one cannot ask for more. The two guides are usually Matilde and Aristide. Aristide, a nature guide, botanist and quite knowledgable in geology, explains the characteristics of the natural environment the group is exploring; Matilde leads the afternoon session which usually touches upon the history and art history of a specific location or building(s).

The hike, Le Ripe della Naca, involved a hike up to the spot where the 1928 Etna Eruption started and then hiking down one of its lava trails. The group hiked up to an elevation of 1,100 meters and basically made a loop. After the hike, the group went to a shrine erected in Sant’alfio, a town adjacent to the destroyed Mascali, shrine which was built by the inhabitants of Sant’Alfio to show gratitude for their town not being destroyed by the eruption.

At the end, the last site to visit was a two thousand year old chestnut tree, Il Castagno dei Cento Cavalli.